The present invention relates to vehicle front ends adapted for reducing injury to a pedestrian upon impact, and more particularly relates to a vehicle energy absorber apparatus in the upper front area of a vehicle front end, where the energy absorber apparatus includes an energy absorber with crush lobes that absorb energy upon impact thus reducing injury to a pedestrian's upper leg or child's head.
Traditionally, vehicles are constructed to provide safety to vehicle occupants during a crash. Improvements are desired to maintain that objective, but also provide improved safety to a pedestrian. In particular, a pedestrian is typically struck by a front of a moving vehicle, with the vehicle bumper, front of hood, and other front end components transmitting a relatively high force and energy into the pedestrian. This can result in significant body injury, including injury to the pedestrian's legs during initial impact, followed by upper body and head injury as the pedestrian or child tumbles toward the vehicle and onto the vehicle's hood.